Feeding 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan during the transition from pregnancy to lactation increases calcium mobilization from bone in rats

An increasing demand for calcium during pregnancy and lactation can result in both clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia during the early lactation period in several mammalian species, in particular the dairy cow. Serotonin (5-HT) was recently identified as a regulator of lactation and bone turnover. The purpose of this study was to determine whether supplementation of the maternal diet with a 5-HT precursor would increase maternal bone turnover and calcium mobilization to maintain appropriate circulating maternal concentrations of ionized calcium during lactation. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 30) were fed either a control diet (n = 15) or a diet supplemented with the 5-HT precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP, 0.2%; n = 15) from day 13 of pregnancy through day 9 of lactation. Maternal serum and plasma (day 1 and day 9 of lactation), milk and pup weight (daily), mammary gland and bone tissue (day 9 of lactation) were collected for analysis. The 5-HTP diet elevated circulating maternal concentrations of 5-HT on day 1 and day 9 of lactation and parathyroid hormone related-protein (PTHrP) on day 9 of lactation (P < 0.033). In addition, 5-HTP supplementation increased total serum calcium concentrations on day 1 of lactation and total milk calcium concentration on day 9 of lactation (P < 0.032). Supplemental 5-HTP did not alter milk yield, maternal body weight, mammary gland structure, or pup litter weights (P > 0.05). Supplemental 5-HTP also resulted in increased concentrations of mammary 5-HT and PTHrP, as well as increased mRNA expression of rate-limiting enzyme in 5-HT synthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase 1, and Pthrp mRNA on day 9 of lactation (P < 0.028). In addition, supplementation of 5-HTP resulted in increased mRNA expression of maternal mammary calcium transporters and resorption of bone in the femur, indicated by increase osteoclast number and diameter as well as mRNA expression of classical markers of bone resorption on day 9 of lactation (P < 0.048). These results show that increasing 5-HT biosynthesis during the transition from pregnancy to lactation could be a potential therapeutic target to explore for prevention of subclinical and clinical hypocalcemia.     

可视化编程技术在发动机外特性曲线绘制中的应用

通过对汽车发动机外特性的理论分析,在处理汽车发动机外特性曲线时,建立了一种适合处理发动机外特性曲线的三次样条函数拟合的数学模型,在C Builder可视化开发平台上,编制了汽车发动机外特性曲线绘制程序.利用三次样条函数插值法对实验数据进行拟合,实现了发动机外特性曲线绘制的自动化.     

关于滚子链额定功率曲线的探讨

在分析ISO10823、DIN8195、ANSIB29.^-1等标准和有关文献的基础上，结合一些国际知名链条公司的功率曲线，探讨了ISO10823功率曲线的建立基础，提出了使用标准时应注意的问题。     

基于遥感和空间洛伦茨曲线的北京市昌平区土地利用结构时空变化分析

以遥感影像为数据源,提取2000,2003和2007年三时相的昌平区土地利用信息,以高程150 m为界限划分为山地生态涵养区和平原经济发展区。分析表明,平原经济发展区土地利用结构变化主要体现为耕地向城矿居用地转化,而山地生态涵养区各组分变化并不明显。应用空间洛伦茨曲线和空间基尼系数分析揭示三时相不同土地用途的分布特征,研究发现水域和城矿居用地的空间分布在三时相最不均匀,集中于平原经济发展区,耕地和林地比较均匀,未利用地分布变化较大。7年之间耕地、林地和水域在向均匀方向发展,城矿居用地先趋于不均匀后转向均匀发展,未利用地恰好相反。     

奶牛泌乳曲线分析与饲养管理

本研究通过对泌乳曲线的峰值、波形等变化的分析，找出了影响产奶量的主要因素，并提出了改进措施。     

Growth, slaughter performance and feeding behaviour of young bulls belonging to three native cattle breeds raised in the Alps

Most studies on lactation curves only consider milk yield and describe a standard lactation curve of dairy cows, showing a peak or maximum daily yield occurring between 4 and 8 weeks after calving, followed by a daily decrease in milk yield until the cow is dried off. Wood's model is a widely used lactation curve function. Wood's model was fitted to test-day records of 95,405 lactations of parities lower than 5. Milk traits were milk yield (MY), fat percentage (F%), protein percentage (P%), fat yield (FY) and protein yield (PY), and the lactation curve was individually considered as a cluster of five linked curves. Milk trait and parity influence the goodness of fit of Wood's model. In 19.3% of the lactations, the shape of the MY, FY and PY curves follows the standard lactation curve while F% and P% have the reversed standard shape. The initial phase of lactation with the FY and PY curves contributes to the high variability of shapes.     

Potential role of N-carbamoyl glutamate in biosynthesis of arginine and its significance in production of ruminant animals

Arginine （ARG） exerts many beneficial effects on animal body and enhanced angiogenesis, lactogenesis, which finally leads to the improvement in nitrogen （N） metabolism, reproduction, lactation, immunity and growth. Unfortunately, unprotected ARG will be degraded in the rumen and its price is high, thus feeding rumen-protected ARG seems to be uneconomical. Alternatively, N-carbamoyl glutamate （NCG） is structural analogue of N-acetyl glutamate, cofactor of cabamoyl phosphate synthetasel, is lower in rumen degradation compared to ARG. Additionally, rumen epithelial and duodenal cells have potentially utilized the NCG for ureagenesis. Supplementation of NCG to high yielding dairy cows increased plasma concentration of ARG and nitric oxide, decreased the plasma ammonia N and improved lactation performance and N utilization. Supplementation of NCG enhanced pregnancy rates in rats, improved litter size and fetal survival rate, thereby improved the reproductive performance of sows. Oral NCG supplementation increases plasma ARG and somatotropin levels, and increased growth rate and muscle protein synthesis in nursing piglets. The NCG is potential a relatively cheaper source of feed additive to offer vital compensation over oral administration of ARG, resulting in improved ruminant animal health and production. In this article, we reviewed the mechanism of AfiG biosynthesis by NCG and their significance in growth, reproduction, milk production and N utilization in ruminant animals.     

CONTRAST-ENHANCED ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN NORMAL CANINE LIVER. EVALUATION OF IMAGING AND SAFETY PARAMETERS

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, a new imaging modality in veterinary medicine, can provide data on tissue perfusion. The objective of this study was to use the ultrasonographic contrast agent SonoVue to evaluate various transit time indices in the normal canine liver, to examine the effect of anesthesia on these parameters, and to evaluate the safety of this agent in dogs. The liver of 11 healthy dogs was studied by ultrasound during an intravenous bolus injection of SonoVue. Each dog underwent the examination twice, first with and later without the use of anesthesia. A time-intensity curve was generated from a selected region of interest within the liver from each scanning session. Ratios derived from peak enhancement, time to peak enhancement, up-slope and full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of the curve were calculated from the time-intensity curves, and are reported. There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in peak enhancement, up-slope and FWHM between dogs that were anesthetized and dogs that were not. Time to peak enhancement, however, was significantly shorter when the dogs were anesthetized than when they were nonanesthetized (P < 0.05). There were no biologically significant changes in clinical laboratory findings. This study indicates that contrast-enhanced ultrasound using SonoVue gives reproducible liver perfusion data, and appears to be a safe and well-tolerated agent for use in dogs. When considering normal values, the use of anesthetic drugs has to be considered.     

土壤水高矿化度对粉质黏土水力特性的影响

为获取高矿化度土壤水条件下的水力特征参数,并比较不同处理的影响,实验测定淡水、30、100及250g/L土壤水矿化度处理土样脱湿过程的水分特征曲线,并利用RETC软件进行模型参数拟合。结果表明,粉质黏土条件下,van Genuchten-Burdine模型可拟合各不同处理土壤水分特征曲线。各组实测曲线形态显示,在吸力较大阶段,当土壤水吸力增大到一定程度时含水率才发生变化,二者呈多值对应关系。TDS-30处理对应的残余体积含水率θr最大,α、n值最小,非饱和水力传导度K值衰减最快;中等大小孔隙的变化对非饱和水力传导度影响较为显著。研究成果可为深入开展矿化度潜水蒸发数值计算提供支持。